A wide-open stakes became even more contentious when trainer Chad Brown said Jan. 8 that morning-line favorite Analyze It would be scratched from the Jan. 9 Tropical Turf Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park.
William Lawrence's multiple grade 3-winning son of Point of Entry , who was the 2-1 choice in the $100,000 one-mile turf stakes, was found to have a quarter-crack Friday morning, adding to the foot problems that sidelined him for his entire 4-year-old campaign in 2019 during a 22-month absence.
Brown said he was uncertain of how long Analyze It would be sidelined.
For the eight remaining starters, the Tropical Turf could play a big role in catapulting some of them back into high-level graded stakes competition.
Amerman Racing's multiple grade 2-placed Admission Office enters Saturday's race off his first graded stakes win. On the downside, that came nearly seven months ago when he captured the 1 1/2-mile Louisville Stakes (G3T) over grade 1 victor Arklow .
"He's coming back at a distance that isn't really ideal for him, but it's a good starting point. The good thing about this race is there's plenty of pace, which ideally suits Gulfstream. But if they get going too fast up front, it could set up for someone to come off the pace," trainer Brian Lynch said about the proven stretch runner. "He's his own worst enemy. He gives himself too much to do. He needs the ideal trip, and the heavens to open up."
Despite the lengthy layoff, the bay has been breezing consistently at Palm Meadows Training Center, working 5/8ths in 1:01.40 over the turf course Jan. 1 in preparation for the Tropical Turf.
Jordan Wycoff's Tusk won last year's Tropical Turf for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. but did not race again until 11 months later when he was eighth in the Dec. 5 Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes.
"He got an easy lead and stopped, but he got tired," Joseph said about the 8-year-old Tapit gelding's last start. "He's been training forwardly since then. He won this race last year, so we're going to give him a chance to win it again."
The field also includes LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's Casa Creed , who is winless since taking the August 2019 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T), and John Oxley and My Meadowview Farm's Ride a Comet , who is coming off a Nov. 21 win in the Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) at Woodbine on synthetic and captured the 2018 Del Mar Derby (G2T) three starts ago.
Gulfstream Park, Saturday, January 09, 2021, Race 10Entries: Tropical Turf S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Admission Office (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 122 Brian A. Lynch 7/2 2 2Casa Creed (KY) Junior Alvarado 122 William I. Mott 8/1 3 3Ride a Comet (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 122 Mark E. Casse 5/1 4 4Doctor Mounty (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Claude R. McGaughey III 10/1 5 5Frostmourne (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 Eddie Kenneally 9/2 6 6Analyze It (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 124 Chad C. Brown 2/1 7 7Tusk (KY) Luis Saez 122 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 15/1 8 8Hay Dakota (KY) Paco Lopez 120 Michael J. Maker 15/1 9 9Flying Scotsman (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 118 Jack Sisterson 30/1